Explosive mixture



ROY LINDEN HILL, OF TAMAQUA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ATL AS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

EXPLOSIVE MIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Batent. v Patented NOV. 30, 1920.

No Drawing. Original application filed August 30, 1918, Serial No. 252,029. Divided and this application filed July 25, 1919, Serial No. 313,246, Renewed October 8, 1920. Serial No. 415,673.

I To all whom it mayco'iwern:

Be it known that I, ROY L. HILL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Tamaqua, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive Mixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a divisionof my copending application Serial Number; 252,029, filed Aug. 30, l9l8-and is-filed to claim specifically certain of the ingredients used in my new explosive mixture. As is clearly disclosed in my co'pending application aforesaid I'ny composition as a whole consists principally of the following ingredients combined substantially in the following proportions:

Ammonium perchlorate (water proofed or otherwise 45 to Ammonium perchlorate contains an excess of oxygen over that needed theoretically for its combustion of, about twentyseven per cent; further, in nitro-starch there is not enough oxygen for complete 1n-- combustion, the deficiency varying versely with the extent to which the starch has been nitrated. The two substances,

properly combined, will in themselves make a mixture of very high explosive force. However, such a mixture alone would develop, on detonation, chlorin and hydrochloric acid which would be objectionable except in very open work. I propose to remedy this condition by-the well known method of adding a compound or mixture of compounds of a metal or metals which will readily combine with chlorin. For this I have used such substances as sodium nitrate and manganese dioxid, but I do not limit myself to, these two compounds. Such substances have been .used before with chlorin-containing explosive mixtures,

but never, so far as know,.in combination with nitro-starch and ammomum perchlorate. v

dusty as to oife'r difliculties in mixing, packing, using and the like, I propose to mix with it some oil or other liquid. I have used for this purpose castor'oil, coal tar distillates and liquid nitro-aromatic compounds, such as nitrated solvent naphtha,- but I do not limit myself to these substances. The ingredients of myexplosive may be prepared and mixed in any of the well know ways, including their water-proof ing with paraffin, petrolatum, waxes and the like; and my explosive may be packed in the usual types of high explosive cartrid es or in any other suitable container. 0st non-freezing explosives which have been made or proposed have the objection of low sensitiveness with the tendency to become ve insensitive in keeping or aging. o eliminate this tendency several methods have been suggested by others, for instance, the use of metallic powders, especially aluminum and zinc dusts, but there is a question as to the safety of this. i

My explosive offers the advantage of relatively high sensitiveness, of very high explosive strength, of controllable density, and ease of mixing. I put especial stress on the high explosive strength, of my non-freezin mixture, slnce I can obtain over 80% weig t strength and over 70% -bulk strength, compared with so-calle d straight nitro-gl cerin explosives.

In order that anyone fiamiliar with the manufacture of explosives may understand how my new explosive mixture may be made up, I will give the composition of a mixture which has Sodium nitrate, coated with one per cent. of petrolatum 8% Nitrated solvent naphtha 2% I It should be understood that this example is for illustrative purposes merely, and that given excellent results I my invention is not limited to this one exact mixture.

may be used, and that man'y'other substances I may be. added, either to decrease the ex-m a plosive' strength of the mixture where a That my explosive may not be so dry and tain desired densities, or to obtain varied rates of detonation, or varied sensitiveness, or for other purposes. In such mixtures, in combination with the ammonium perchlorate and nitro-starch in varying proportions, I have used such substances as d1niexplosive mixtures containing chlorates or perchlorates, but which to my knowledge have never been used or described in combination with mixtures containing essentially ammonium perchlorate and nitro-starch.

Another mixture that I have found to give excellent results is as follows:

Ammonium perchlorate 36% Nitro-starch 32% Manganese dioxid 6% Sodium nitrate 20% Sulfur; 47

Nitrated solvent naphtha 2% Having thus clearly set forth the essential features of my invention, and shown by example how it may be applied I do 'claim'and desire to secure by Letters l ate-nt based on .this particular divisional application-- 1. An explosive mixture, consisting of ammonium perchlorate and nitro-starch'; combined with an oil.

2. An explosive mixture, consistin of ammonium perchlorate, forty-five to fty-five per cent. and nitro-starch, thirty-five to forty-five percent; combined with an oil up to five per cent.

3. An explosive mixture consisting of am monium perchlorate, nitro-starch and a liquid Intro-aromatic compound.

4. An explosive mixture consisting of ammonium perchlorate, forty-five to fifty-five per cent. nitro-starch, thirty-five to fortyfive per cent. and aliquid nitro-aromatic compound up to five per cent.

5. An explosive mixture comprising ammonium perchlorate nitro-starch and a Water proofing ingredient.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. 1 l

ROY LINDEN HILL. 

